Refurbished electronics have become a golden opportunity for many businesses as they tap into a new, growing market. Consumers are increasingly considering refurbished electronics as a better purchasing decision. This is largely because more consumers have now realised that buying refurbished is a cost-effective alternative to buying new products.
According to a report by Transparency Market Research, the global refurbished computer and laptop market is projected to reach a value of USD 8-billion by 2031. However, this opportunity has also seen a rise in the number of fly-by-night second-hand computer dealers that are exploiting unsuspecting customers.
Refurbished products range from used to unused and even hardly used customer returns could be considered as new. On the other end of the scale, it could be defective products that were returned under warranty or used refurbished products that underwent hardware upgrades or some components replaced with newer technologies.
Regardless of the condition of the equipment, most resellers claim that their used equipment is of a high standard. This could include terms like factory refurbished, quality certified, brand spanking new, quality refurbished, certified refurbished, and high quality refurbished, to name but a few.
So, what should one look for in a quality product?
When looking behind all the hype, it is quite easy to spot a quality vendor. There are some essential requirements that all vendors should have and then there are those factors that set apart the top-quality resellers.
The essential factors will include Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher (MAR) licensing, aftersales service and third-party accreditation. The other factors that will set apart the men from the boys will include computer integrity testing, vendor heritage and registered trademark.
Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher (MAR) licensing
MAR licensing is a requirement for all computers that are resold with a windows operating system. If the computer does not have a MAR license, then it is not legally compliant. This could result in security updates and patches not being updated to the Microsoft operating system, making it more vulnerable to cyberattacks and system shutdowns as a result of the software not being activated.
More importantly, this could result in time being wasted when having to return the computer to the reseller that sold a computer without a legal Microsoft operating system.
Aftersales service
In the event of a computer breakdown, the conditions for resolving the problem should be clearly defined by a warranty policy. It should be at least 12 months and should cover basics like a swap out for a faulty unit if it is returned within 7 days of purchase. After this period, the repair turnaround should be a matter of hours and not weeks.
Professional resellers generally have spare parts for most product lines that they sell. For additional peace of mind, the dealer should also offer extended warranty up to 24 months.
Third party accreditation
It is easy for anyone to claim they adhere to a standard, but it is essential that a reseller complies with a 3rd party standard. This includes an industry institute or an association competence qualification.
Then there is International Standard Organisation 'Quality Management Systems 9001' or simply known as “ISO9001”. This can be applied to any process or procedure to provide accreditation that the quality is audited and certified by a reputable 3rd party organisation.
Computer Integrity testing
It is critical that all electronics go through this process, it guarantees that all the components meet the required standard. If not, the components need to be replaced to ensure that a unit being redeployed into a working environment complies with a policy of less than 1% failure.
There are many systems integrator applications on the market, like Eurosoft, Aiken workbench and Blannco. However, it is important that one does not use a freeware product.
Heritage
This is something that is claimed by most resellers in the marketplace, but true heritage is easy to spot. Does the reseller have an established premises with a large staff complement and decades of positive customer reviews?
Registered trademarks
If a brand is worth the hype, then it should be protected through the patent office to ensure that only patrons of the product can legitimately use the accreditation.
Conclusion
Refurbished equipment suppliers like Xperien fulfil all the factors mentioned above. The company is a Microsoft registered refurbisher, it offers up to 24 months warranties, it is accredited with ISO9001 quality management systems and ISO 14001 environmental management.
Furthermore, it uses 3rd party burn in software to confirm system integrity, it has 23 years of heritage and last but not least, it has a register trademark namely Certified Refurbished Systems® (CRS) and only Xperien and its resellers can use this branding.
Resellers are generally looking for an opportunity to make a profit, but must avoid the pitfalls of choosing a cheaper option. They should seek value for their customers by partnering with a supplier or distributor that complies with all the factors mentioned above and ensure time and opportunity is not wasted on inferior products.
